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Topic: Scary Netjeru (Read 86976 times)

To me, Sekhmet is always Sekhmet the Destroyer. Sekhmet the Avenger of Ra. Sekhmet, to me, is utterly ruthless. Maybe She scares me because in some respects, I can be like Her in certain situations.

I find it very interesting that you note that about yourself. Getting to know what is appropriate action is definitely a part of Sekhmet's "process" - for lack of a better term.

One only need see Sekhmet around little children - both Her reaction to them and their reaction to Her to see that the Destroyer aspect of Sekhmet, while important and valid and definitely to be respected, there is always and ever-present the motherly nature of HetHert. Nothing in the world is more fierce than a mother protecting her young. It literally has brought tears to my eyes to see Sekhmet with little ones. It is absolutely heartwarming.

An aside, whenever a child is rootnamed, no matter Who is the Name in festival for that child, Sekhmet has impressed upon me the necessity to stand up for every one of those children. That to me underscores that while justifiably commanding of respect and sometimes fear - Sekhmet is still the Mother underneath it all.

I think because I have, for the most part, some of the Netjeru people find scariest, none of Them scare me. Even when I was told-back when I was a lot younger, mind you- that Set was a god of evil, I still thought He was pretty cool and really wasn't terrified of Him.

Now, He and Father can certainly intimidate me, but part of that has more to do with the enviroment I was raised in (Predominantly female with the only male, my father, being almost not there and never showing any real emotion to us. I often felt he didn't even so much as cared that I existed). Even Ptah-Sokar-Wesir, Who is very much a WOOOSH-there-went-my-brain Netjeru, doesn't frighten me.

Seeing as there's also a large portion here with Sekhmet-related issues, I offer this advice: Sekhmet is Hethert. Hethert is a goddess of love, of mothers, of happiness. Sekhmet, in a sense, shares those. She is the feirce protectress side to every mother and woman who cares and loves. You only need to fear Her, in my opinion, if you are trying to intentionally hurt who She loves.

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[color:purple]KefetmisenuSat Heru-wer her Hethert-Sekhmet[/color][color:violet]The nutball Kemetic/Pagan/Witch artist of KOIcon is my own artwork[/color]

Ironically, the main deity that I don't want to work with is Heru. For some reason, he just annoys me... like he's all squeaky clean.. like a golden child or something. I can't really place my finger on it.

-Devo

I suppose you are talking about Heru-Sa-Aset?He surely is NOT squeaky clean. In the Contendings there are a few stories which speak otherwise.There is the episode where He suggests a boat race with boats made of stone and he used a boat which is made of wood and only looks like stone. Or when He chopped off Aset's head because She helped Set

Her mere presence will strip a person raw; since She comes from inside, there's no shielding, no blocking, no defense. We are all vulnerable.

She will rip your still-beating heart clean out of your chest and lay it on the dresser top in front of you. She will watch with kind eyes as you wail and sob, as the greatest heartache you have ever experienced gets forcibly pushed through from the inside out. You've no defense, no recourse, there are no thoughts, no rationalizing. Your only option is to feel. And feel, you do. Every single ounce of it.

And then... just as suddenly as it began... it ends. Your heart, lighter, purer, is put back into place; the gaping hole in your chest filled with Her intense Love. The pain is all but forgotten, save for the massive pile of used tissues on the floor, your clogged sinuses, puffy eyes, tear-stained cheeks, and budding headache.

There is no hiding from Hethert. When She decides you need to feel, you WILL be feeling. Pure, intense, overwhelming emotion.

And that is scary.

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 pm by Taqaisenu »

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"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others." - Groucho Marx

Sat Set her Hethert-Sekhmet, meryt Heru-Wer, Djehuty her Amun.Fedw Diviner

My Mother, Bast. She came to me once in a vision, with just a bit of Her predatoryness* displayed, and it terrified me. I can't even imagine how incapacitated with fear I would be if She unleashed Her warrior side on me.

She only ever did it once, and I think it was to make sure I understood She is so much more than playful house-kitty, and not to ever think of putting her in that role. She is the Tearrer, the Shredder, and Her claws and teeth will destroy any who are against Ma'at.

*not a word, I know

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TahaiBastDaughter of Bast. Beloved of Sobek-Ra, Djehuty, and Sekhmet-Hethert.

Ugh, yes Taqai. Now that you mention it, that does make me want Hethert, but also skirt around her like a feral cat around a bowl of food.

When she was in Saq she was one of the ones that convinced me Saq was real, because there was just nothing that could stop that. She holds you and you break, you cry, you're gone. When I didn't have anything to say to her but lurked anyway, she brought me in to tell me how much she loved me and to hug me tight, and everything just pours out in a wave of emotion and tears.

Afterwards, you do feel better, somehow. You look at her and there is *no* way to doubt her love. It's not possible, she blasts all doubt clean out of your mind like a solar flare. There's just a weird sensation that everything else has been hollowed out, burned away by some cleansing fire.

It is scary, really. Perfect, and beautiful, but scary. She is scary. That kind of love is terirfying.

I've thought about this a bit. For me, it's not exactly *scared* but more very wary, distant and hesitant....I tend to circle around any and all Kings. All the warrioress Names, I totally GET, thus they don't "scare" me, mothers of any stripe- are right up my alley, me being the feminist and mother that I am. Even if any of Them did something I didn't understand (not hard to do I'm sure), I would have this instinctual trust that They Knew what was going on when I didn't. Chaotic, primal Names, intimidating absolutely, but quite familiar to me. I *get* berserker rage, protective ruthlessness, unstopable fury in the face of harm to children, families etc, and even that quality of timelessness that is the very foundation of motherhood itself. Service to any of These is something that I can do and do well. Aset, Sekhmet, Bast, Tawaret, Nit-mothers and destroyers all-are as comfortable to me as breathing, though I may be intimidated at times because They can bring all that to a level I simply cannot. Even the male Names more associated with this sort of thing (like chaos or primalness), are fairly comfortable to me.

To me, what is "scary" is the order, the rule of Law, and *especially* the Divine Kingship roles that are on any kind of masculine principle-kinda have me saying.....dude...

It's just so foreign to me. I can't wrap my head or heart around this MO, though I might try. Amun, Atum, Ra, Wesir, and even Djehuty...these are Names that I just don't....understand, though I have tried, well, a little. We fear what we don't know...and I've had problems with authority (and particularly MALE authority) since I was a frakin toddler. I've been tasked with finding the balance between these 2 diametrically opposite principles, and it has me a little....squeed...

Aset of course, knows all this and I'm pretty sure it's why I've been told to learn about Her Amenti aspect, She's made it clear that I *am* to get to know Her husband....this is going to be a struggle for me, and She almost seems to be amused with my confusion at the same that She is being utterly tender and soft about this particular thing....for a change....lol...

She has been the only Name to come visit me in the flesh, so to speak. I was absolutely terrified. I can't explain the horror I felt that night (a few days after my RPD) to see Death Herself walk through my bedroom door. She scared the you-know-what out of me then left as quickly as She came.

Usually I find NebetHet to be very comforting but that night... yikes!

And yet, right there staring out of that calm child's face is also "Khonsu who lives on hearts" and "Khonsu who slew the lords, who strangles them for the King, and extracts for him what is in their bodies"...Khonsu the exorcist/demon-slayer.

You know how they say never go near a bear cub? because when the mama finds out...she doesn't even care if your not hurting her cubs your getting hurt.....bad

Its sort of a love/hate thing. She being associated with child-birth and children is someone I pray to for all the children in my life...and at the same time.. I resent her...well not anymore...but I did at one point because I can't have kids...and this lead to some guilt..which makes me scared that she will find out that I felt that way once and be mad... real angry momma bear mad.

Also... having come to terms with my non-parent status... and knowing now that it is exactly what I want. The whole pregnancy/child/mother thing is something I used to dream about ....and now the idea is a nightmare. I love kids and I have more kids in my life than I know what to do with....but the idea of having my own scares me...alot

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Sat Montu Meryt Amun-Ra her Sekhmet her Khnum

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." -Ambrose Redmoon

Set has scared me from the start, although I had a breakthrough of sorts on that yesterday. When I think of Set, I think of chaos and butt-kicking change, and I have never handled either one very well.

Senebty,Nehwen

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Sat Wesir | Meryt Bast her Serqet-Aset

Now not only day shall be beloved, but night too shall be beautiful and blessed and all its fear pass away!. -J.R.R. Tolkien

The entire concept of change is frequently terrifying to most people, so I wouldn't feel too bad about that!

Personally, I find Aset and Bes to be scary. As far as Bes ... I'm not really sure I can pinpoint the reason for the fear. I just can't narrow it down. Most fertility Names cause me to feel something other than on a sure footing, to be honest. Very strange, since I'm still wanting another little one. And Aset? I think mostly it's a fear of reaching out for your best. And then being your best. Because then, in my mind, all I can do after that is fall short and disappoint someone. Or SomeOne ...

Em hotep!I've never really found Set scary, after all, he's the Name I feel closest to, and to me he's more of a fatherly character.(Yeah that means seeing the not-so-fluffy side of him sometimes.)

Aset however, terrifies me. Possibly because I'm horribly attached to Set, that in itself may be fuel to make her not like me too much. I've never tried to contact her, although I have had some interaction with Nebt Het, and she's enigmatic, but still very nice.

« Last Edit: July 18, 2010, 11:11:49 pm by Setnusetekh »

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Zematsenu - Union of Two (Zemat) Sat Set her Nit-Nebthet-Seshat.Meryt Wesir, Bast-Mut her Heru-wer.

I've found that Ammut seems the scariest of the Netjeru. And it's no disrespect toward her. I remember discussing a tattoo that I was planning to get which revolved around the weighing of the heart, when I got a distinct impression of Her face. I got the impression that She is really....REALLY hungry. I don't think I'm terrified of Her, but She definitely makes me want to tread lightly. I feel like a snack when I think about those eyes...*shivers slightly*